Excellent breakfast cafe in an authentic country diner atmosphere. Great service, great food!

Good food and great service. Excellent for breakfast.

My favorite restaurant in SLO. We eat here 3-4 times per month. Portions are very generous. I love the quiche, pot roast, taco salad, and the french fries the most...the soups are all amazing...I never turn down the offer of a free cookie. 😍

The breakfast burrito, specifically with sausage instead of chorizo, was scrumptious.

Super charming place. All these photos were delicious.

Great service and a very tasty breakfast. And, they have mimosas :). Very pet-friendly, our server even brought a dish of water for my pup! Sat outside on the lovely patio. My friends and I really enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommend!

I stopped here randomly when I was in San Luis Obispo and it was fantastic. The food was great. The service was wonderful and the atmosphere was fun. I will definitely be going back

Stopped in for a quick bite before heading to NoCal. Split the country fried steak and eggs with my sister and they split in the kitchen for us! Great service all the employees were friendly and welcoming.

This has been our long time favorite breakfast (and lunch) place for over 20 years. We love the setting in the beautiful railroad historic district, the building, the outdoor patio is fabulous in warm weather and the interior seating, in cold. The food is great. Today i had one of their lunch salads for the first time - HUGE and oh so good. Our family s favorite spot to get together

Had lunch here a couple times in the last month and I like the club sandwich. It has all the right ingredients. The staff is attentive, polite, and prompt, but not intrusive. That is nice. The breakfasts on the plates across the table looked properly prepared and presented. All in all there are a lot of happy people at this place. And two of them are siting at my table! Good food - Very good cooks! Yum!

I have only been here for breakfast so my review is specific to that. The best chicken fried steak I've had in this county! Other dishes I've had and have all been excellent are biscuits & gravy, sweet potato & pork hash, & the veggie omelet. The service is equally as excellent as the food & servers so friendly. You just can't go wrong with DMC!

My friends and I came up to SLO for the weekend and decided to give this place a try. I got the special blue berry pancakes and the eggs benedict. The blueberry pancakes were tasty. This was my first eggs Benedict I’ve ever tried so I’m unsure what they are suppose to taste like, but they were good. Their potatoes were one of the best ones I have had. Overall good experience, but nothing that stood out vividly.

We sat on the shady and secluded deck and had a delightful brunch! My wife had the French toast and I had the linguiça and eggs, both of which were absolutely delicious. The service was quick and our server was very friendly, I would absolutely recommend this place!

Be sure to get here early so you don't have to wait 30 mins + for a table. Food was really good. Serve was quick, the food came out almost too hot to eat. Saturday morning brunch is a busy time for them but the bagel sandwich and stuffed french toast were really good. Portions were good size. I would definitely eat here again.

My waitress was attentive, very polite, and my food came out fast. She gave me a recommendation to sub my pancakes for French toast to save a little $$. The food was delicious, and the coffee was fresh.

Reasonably priced, classic breakfast, and lunch. Delicious fresh ingredients. Friendly, helpful staff 😀 everyone here is so nice. Best Potatoes O'Brien in town! Perfectly cooked potatoes are rare and I love these! Cute little place with patio seating for a quick, romantic breakfast. Will be back, of course.

This unassuming little diner in the railroad district has done their best to capture the best notes from a much simpler time in US history without being kitsch. Just ate there yesterday and it hasn't changed a bit! Pick a booth facing the counter, squint and it's easy to imagine 70 or 80 years never happened -until you get the bill HA! (but almost every place in SLO is priced higher than average). I've only had lunch here and can say it's the top 3 best burgers in town and the best fries. Service is friendly, it's one of those places with a real local following. If you're into old institutions and love a good diner, I think this is what you're after.

So glad that Sally Loos staff manager was so rude that it forced us to seek another place for lunch before our train arrived!! We found Del Monte to be a quaint step back in time with wonderful wait staff! Terrific Reuben sandwich, dressings are homemade, fries are awesome and the service was excellent!! (Sorry I forgot to take pics)

The food has insane portions for the price! Reminds me of a good home cooked meal! You’ll def have leftovers! I missed my bus and they let me charge my phone and treated me like family. The best place :) I’ll be back whenever I visit from LA

The service, the ambiance and the food are all first rate and the portions are huge! Come hungry, eat your fill and still have enough for another meal tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch and dinner there are many delicious and creative options. We love the Southwest pork chop dinner. Two huge tender, moist pork chops with a spicy apricot sauce...here’s a picture of a tasty polenta appetizer.

This was my first time eating at Del Monte. I had the veggie egg white omelette with potatoes and sourdough toast. The omelette came with a side of fresh salsa and it really added good flavor. The potatoes were excellent, they were cooked perfectly. Our waitress was wonderful, very attentive to keeping our waters and coffee filled. I agree with some other reviews, it is pricey $20 for an omelette, but with inflating costs, higher wages, and I am sure the rent is high…can’t really blame them for the prices. The portions are good size and the quality is excellent, so you do feel like you are getting what you paid for.

Great place to eat. Was recommended by a local friend and did not disappoint.

I love coming to Del Monte Cafe. The service is great every time, the food is delicious and always fast, and the environment is chill and relaxed. Heidi (our server) never disappoints! She always provides great service and is always friendly and attentive.

A nice little surprise food was freshly made. The waitress was professional and polite. Not overly crowded.

Excellent breakfast and brunch options. Delicious food with great service. Nice place for sitting outside in the shade.

Del Monte Café is a historic institution in San Luis Obispo—a true blast to the past and a proud part of our city’s history. It’s got that classic diner charm that feels like stepping back in time in the best way. The service was absolutely fantastic—friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The fries and ranch were delicious, and the burger was solid. The turkey melt, though, was unfortunately pretty wet and drippy—not quite what I was hoping for. Prices were average for the area. All in all, it’s a great place to support local history and enjoy a nostalgic SLO experience. I’ll definitely be back (just maybe trying a different sandwich next time).

All-time great breakfast spot. Nestled on a narrow street corner, homey vibes and top-notch breakfast. Reminded us of our favorite Southern breakfast restaurants back home. Service was excellent, and our waitress provided several recs for us to check out on our way up the coast. Don’t miss it!

Cozy old school diner, the chicken fried steak was delicious and the batter was nice and crispy. Also tried the special stuffed French toast which was great as well. Our server was very friendly and attentive.

Great breakfast 🥞🍳 and hash. Old style. Counter stools. Outside patio. Across from train station 🚉.

They really get how to keep kids happy! Toys at the table, awesome smiling pancake, and really good service! Cute restaurant with a neat charming atmosphere. Really casual. Food was delicious too!

This tiny little restaurant gets popping! The food is so good I ordered the French toast and I loved it. Prepare to wait a little bit if it’s packed. The parking lot is kind of small.

Nice small place to eat. I like how the potatoes are crispy. We had an omelet and a french toast. Is was all good.

Great food, nice staff. Busy lil'cafe. So you'll probably have to wait a little bit for a seat but it's worth it. Parking can be tough but there is some available across the street at train station. (Where we parked) and we enjoyed the atmosphere there as well.

Among the very best Liguica and eggs breakfasts I have had in my life!

such a cute place!!! the food is amazing and the decor so so cute

Breakfast experience. excellent service on a busy Sunday morning. Kitchen had our food very prompt to the table. Coffee great, OJ good, stuffed French toast great, sausage ok, omelette good, toast good. We sat outside on the patio at a comfortable table.

My lady and I love this place if you haven’t tried it you’re missing out 💯

Best location for brunch! Outdoor seating was clean, service was quick. Definitely a hidden gem in SLO.

Great breakfast option. I enjoyed the linguiça and cheese omelette.

I've loved this place since I was a kid. They had a chilaquiles special. That was the best chilaquiles I've ever had. And of course the wait staff is wonderful as ever. Great job.

Francisco Maldonado

Great place to have breakfast,the food is great and the service is excellent.

Lata Murti

Don't know why I had never eaten here before yesterday. Cute diner with lots of vegetarian options, friendly service, and generous portions. Reminded me a bit of Luke's Diner from the Gilmore Girls, at least the counter. ☺️

Jim Bonstein

I wish I could give this place 6 stars! We were there on a Sunday and luckily got there before 9:30 AM. You are waiting in a line if you get there after that, and for good reason. The food and customer service are at the highest levels. My only very minor complaint would be the coffee - it could be a little better, but the delicious food and excellent service far outweigh this minor issue. We will definitely be back!

Prisca Armstrong

Called in for drinks, while waiting for train from the station across the road. Cute little cafe, really great service from lovely staff. Cool, shady, pretty garden patio area. A real gem of a place!

Brennan Ronald

A favorite spot to visit for breakfast in SLO proper. This is more of a hidden gem in town with its further proximity from downtown. This establishment has always boasted a retro/charming interior/exterior, easy parking, friendly service, and good value for the plates of food that they serve. Our personal favorite is to sit at the retro diner barstools and order a split plate of the 2+2+2 breakfast plate with a cup of coffee. Will always have a soft spot for this restaurant and the people behind it ever since our first visit during our days at Cal Poly SLO around a decade ago. Happy to still see this restaurant thriving!

Ron Bloedow

Wife and I split the beef pot roast with mashed potatoes and veggies. Meat was perfect. Tasty gravy, nicely cooked veggies, and great atmosphere! Recommend as a great place for food and conversation

David Toboz

Went for a brunch with my SO. Had some charming conversation with our friendly waitress, and the atmosphere was charming and with lovely ambiant music. The food was typical breakfast fare: Eggs in everything, pancakes, french toast, sausage, bacon, etc. But the sausage is hand crafted, the orange juice was delicious, and I liked my breakfast a lot. 5/5, would eat here again.

+1

Adriana Arriaga

Great little café for a quality breakfast :)... service was prompt and timely... staff was courteous and never had to worry about waiting for a coffee refill. We had breakfast inside the café, which had limited seating, but there was additional seating within an outdoor patio and covered area next to the parking... arrive early to avoid wait time... parking is limited, but street parking is available as well as parking across the street within a short walking distance. Prices were appropriate and more affordable than eateries within the downtown district... breakfast was between $15-18.

Elsa Hanigan

This place has the best breakfast in SLO. I know everyone has their favorite breakfast spot but after trying here this is mine. I tried the chicken fried steak and it was the best I’ve ever had. Their linguica sausage is also really good, and their chili was good too.

Rhonda Davis

5 stars for the excellent service! Food, 4 stars for having a really good cup of soup!! Missing a star because sandwiches were really soggy, could have been the crab sandwich. I will go back and make another choice!

Darrin Hackney

Looked like a fun place to grab some breakfast before starting our day on our vacation here in California. The food was fantastic. I had the Bay Shrimp and a Avocado omelette with a side of sour dough buttered bread. They weren’t skimpy with the shrimp either. The atmosphere on the patio was very casual. Honky Tonk music playing in the background added to the casual atmosphere. The service was fantastic and the server was attentive to my girlfriends gluten sensitive needs. There is a handicap ramp next to the patio that leads indoors. The patio has steps. Love this place. I will definitely be back.

Retro caffe vibe, a bit dated. Great service and nice breakfast menu. I was disappointed because my Western Omelet wasn't as good as the last time I had it there about a month before.

The breakfast os one of the best we've ever had. Pancakes are huge and delicious. Sitting inside it's really noisy and their regular booths are really small for 4 grown ups. Skip the coffee if you are a coffee lover. It's weak witj little flavor. The service is great and staff is super friendly. We'll definitely come again.

Went here with the kids after swim lessons, it was a bit of a lark... we all came away very satisfied per the meal, and we he kids loved the nostalgic diner experience. The building sort of throws you back in time a bit, but the service was great. My only complaint was the flies, not to many but enough that it was a little annoying.

Never disappointed. Food is always amazing. Portions are generous as salads can easily be split for 2. The Taco Salad amazing. Be sure to add chicken. Breakfast is all day during the week!!!

We came for a quick breakfast at 8:30 am on a Saturday as we were driving by SLO. They have a big outdoor area which was great because we were a group of 9 and it’s also safer due to covid. The place feels like a diner and the food is traditional American, at least for breakfast. They brought us everything pretty quickly. The portions are quite big, especially for the omelets! A friend who eats a lot couldn’t finish all the sides that come with the omelet. I ordered French toast. It was nice and fluffy but I think it would have been better with berries rather than plain. The coffee is ok and they refill it. It’s a good breakfast spot if you are in the area.

We were looking for a quick bite before we got back on the road to return to Los Angeles. Although it is a distinct building, we drove right past it! It fit the bill - we arrived between lunch and dinner rush, and basically had the place to ourselves. There is booth and counter seating with small cocktail area; very casual no frills cozy diner with large outdoor covered patio dining space serving breakfast lunch and dinner. There isa even an 0old juke box, and the walls are lined with black and white photos showing the history of the diner. Menu includes soup and salad, sandwiches, omelettes and dinners such as meat loaf. Service here is excellent. We needed time to review the menu, and our server was patient and friendly. It didn't take long to receive our meals, a sandwich and burger (with local sparkling wine Mimosa), which were generous portions and quite tasty. We look forward to returning here again. It appears that they have brunch on weekends, which we would like to try once we get settled in to our new residence. Recommend for groups, quick bite and for the ambience.

Good breakfast place! Nothing bad but nothing super good either 😋

Got seated fairly quick on a busy day. Staff was friendly. Food took an 1 and a half hours to get to us. Completely ridiculous. 1 star. Made a correction after we got the food to 4 stars. The food was perfect, cooked amazingly. Everything was fresh and I mean everything. If it was only a little quicker I'd give 5 stars.

Local gem in a historical building across the street from the railroad station. Interior dining space is charming, most were enjoying the patio. I had the Pork & Sweet Potato Hash and loved it. The pork was seasoned similar to carnitas, and grilled with cubed sweet potatoes and onions, topped with eggs. My friend had the daily special, Egg Salad on Croissant, fine except for an over abundance of iceberg lettuce. Main drawback is scarce parking.

This place feels like it’s 100 years old, mostly in a good way. Interior is old and quaint. Menu and service to match. You can eat at a table, the bar or outside on the patio. Worth giving it a try if you’re into such things.

Friend had liver and onions and recommended. Son had Del Monte pancakes, which he loved- and I agree after sampling! I had the Del Monte Club which was equally great- added avocado and the side salad was top-notch and well sized in its own bowl. Will go again for sure! In and out patio dining, along with some limited old school counter style seating.

Excellent breakfast. Decor is a bit funky, needs a good cleaning. Enjoy the company you're with and their great foot and you will have a good time.

Ana Gonzalez

Little corner cafe, very good customer service. Food is all right for the price. However, O’Brien potatoes were either overcooked or they tasted like were reheated from the day before. The breakfast bagel was delicious.

Sagar Bansal

Good food and great service. Gluten-free friendly! We went for brunch and were seated promptly. The waitress was courteous and helpful, and let us know gluten-free options when we asked. The omelette was good and the potatoes were ok, they lacked flavor. Service was quick.

STEPHANIE SANDOVAL

Cute cafe in San Luis Obispo. The place is small and a lot of local people go eat there. Their chicken fried steak with over easy eggs was good, came with potatoes and a gravy biscuit. Not bad for my first time trying it. Then the chorizo burrito came with potatoes, egg and a lot of chorizo also can’t forget American cheese (cheddar) very good plate and the size was good portion. The other two plates were scrambled eggs with potatoes can’t go wrong with that and scrambled eggs, ham and potatoes was good as well. Over all for the first time eating here it was good food. Would come back again and try their lunch menu.

+3

Food was okay. Hostess was really nice, but our server sucked! Bad attitude, never smiled and even rolled her eyes as she walked away. Not sure what her problem was, but she was the ugliest and fattest lady working there and her demeanor only made it worse. Hubby found this place on Yelp! and we were just passing through on our way home from San Simeon. He ordered chicken fried steak and eggs, and she brought him steak and eggs. Won't recommend to anyone.

Nice place to eat. Service was very good, prompt, and frequent. Food was above average, but not over the top. Definitely will come back to try other dishes.

Really expensive for what you get. Just a diner, nothing special. I was underwhelmed.

Food smells wonderful. I had the quiche. Very good. My only recommendation is a thinner crust. I am from out of state, so my first time here. Not the friendliest customer service. Had to ask for water refill several times and ended up walking to register to get more water. Must have been a bad day for the waitress and manager.

My tip was altered without my knowledge. From reading past reviews it seems to be a recurring issue.

We were seated and sat for a while looking at any waitresses direction to get eye contact and show we were ready to order. It took ten minutes to finally stop someone and say we were ready to order. We didnt get drinks first, we got our food it was really good no doubt the cooks here are superb. The only down side is the service, we didnt get eye contact, we didnt feel seen. Maybe we looked obvious we were from out of town and they dont like that? I cant say what it was. But i still tipped because im not a jerk. Please do better customer service no matter who comes through your doors. The waffle was delicious the best ive ever had. My appreciation to the chefs 😋

Service was nice. Food was ok. We ordered a couple of omlets. The eggs were very thick and ingredients could have been cut smaller and cooked more. Very sparse cheese (like 1-2 TBS of shredded cheddar for a 4 egg omlet) The part that wasn’t ok was when we found a piece of ham in my gf’s vegetarian omlet. No gluten free bread here. It’s 2022. Why haven’t restaurants caught on?

The actual building that this business is located in has been around since the early 1900's. The decor is 1930's. The staff are very friendly, and attentive. I ordered the chicken fried steak with two eggs and a biscuit with gravy. Unfortunately, the gravy appeared to be made from powdered package gravy. Just plain white with black specks representing pepper. It was very bland tasting. The biscuit was stale. The chicken fried steak was pretty good. My wife ordered a waffle but it was served with cold butter, which cooled the waffle, so she was disappointed.

Jeremiah Farmer

Every couple years I make the mistake of going here because it’s down the street. This review is primarily to remind myself of how bad it is. The potatoes have not a lick of seasoning on them, and the veggies are essentially raw. Then the eggs, again not even a dash of salt and pepper. I got the 2+2+2, which is served with the colossal pancakes directly on top of the eggs. If you care to eat your eggs in any typical manner, you constantly need to lift up the oversized pancakes to get to the unseasoned eggs below. Do you like genuine maple syrup? Better bring your own, they don’t even bother stocking it for an up-charge. Service is incredible, they are wonderful people. But whoever is forcing the kitchen to cook without seasonings is destroying what should be a wonderful dining experience.

Manuel Alfonso

I loved the location and the building, the staff were really kind, unfortunately I had a hair in my food and the cook was bald... Server was kind and understanding about it and she offered a discount on it, but still ended up charging full price :(

Jaimal Hanson

It’s been a few years since I’ve eaten here and the food was just so bland. The shrimp and avocado omelette was made with no avocado. The shrimp tasted like it was frozen, microwaved, and dumped in an egg blanket, with zero seasoning, sauce or flavor of any kind. The server was apologetic and brought avocado and salsa. The salsa was also pretty bland, with zero heat. The fruit was fresh and good. Arnold Palmer was good. The booths are cozy, with nice atmosphere and server was great, but food was overpriced and meh. Sorry, Del Monte, please add some flavor!

Sher Man

Nice restaurant in general. Great outdoor seating. Quite pricey compared to others that only cost me $3 less. The pancake was a bit rubbery but soft but I still like it. However, the bacon wasnt warm and crispy when served, and the over-medium eggs were too runny. I guess the cook has to pay attention to the egg and not cook bacon in advance. So, i was told by my parents to finish my food since I was little but not today. Although the waitresses were nice, a Karen can make a show with the quality . Sorry!

The café itself was quaint. I was a little disappointed in the service, the waitress was not particularly friendly. When I ordered “egg whites only” she did not inform me that there would be an extra charge, nor was it stated on the menu. The food was kind of bland, so it was a disappointment all the way around.

Good was tasty like always. Waiter must have been in a bad mood. I have never had service that bad, ever.... my sister had 2 hairs in on her food. The waiter did comp her family's meal.

We put our name on the list and they skipped us for a party that put their name on the list 10-15 minutes after us.

We were searching for a breakfast joint. Came here. We went to the counter to order where we met by the extremely rude owner who practically threw the menus at us. We ordered our food to go. When my husband signed the receipt he didn’t put a tip since we weren’t serviced at a table by a waiter. The owner gives my husband back the receipt and demands he puts a tip because the chefs work hard. Ummm ok are the workers not getting paid a decent wage for you to have to ask customers to tip? Never coming back here again. Food was just ok. I would not recommend this place ever.

Lisa

Our server, Sara was possibly having a bad day, but it was the worst service I’ve ever had. Very bad attitude didn’t bring the correct items did not offer selections and was very rude when we explained we had the wrong food and that food was missing. do not recommend the quiche because it is the consistency of a wet custard.

First time eating here..lived in SLO 42 years ago ..the food was good but I was overcharged for what I ordered based on the menu I was given...when I questioned it the waitress said no reason for charging me more and never apologized..she got her tip anyway 👍

It took more than an hour to get our food. The pancakes were rubbery like they'd been in the microwave and the sausage was extremely salty. The bathroom was dirty.

Took 10 minutes to be seated even though the entire inside was empty. The staff was not very customer oriented. Our waitress took 15 minutes to some take our order, luckily the food came out quickly. The bread was not buttered and the food was bland. The linguica tasted like smokey plastic, and then the waiter slid our check onto the table without even looking at us or saying anything.

Best part of this was the waitress was on it with the coffee refills..other than that blah and flavor less. Big no no with putting over medium eggs underneath pancakes. Doors were open making it cold and Flys inside. Just a very poor meal and a definite pass 👎 Not a memorable experience and definitely the last!

Horrible place. Extremely busy for a Sunday morning which is understandable. But the owner herself served us to-go and was extremely rude. She demanded a tip by giving back the bill even though it was a counter order and waited over 20 minutes for the food. The food was mediocre and the cleanliness was severely lacking. Surprised the place has been open for 40 years with the type of service that is provided.

Extremely rude waitress, breakfast made my son sick before he went to work. $23 for basic breakfast which made him feel sick is not worth a return visit. Call placed to owner/manager but waitress refused to give me the name of the owner.

Cosimo Allegretta

I decided to take my girlfriend First time at this place this morning (12/12/25) we sit and ordered two of the specials they had for breakfast, the food arrived and I ordered Eggnog toast wich was tasty after removing literally 7oz of jam that was poured on top of it, my girlfriend got a special blueberry pancakes and I noticed that the first bite she had she completely changed her face impression, I asked if her pancakes were OK and she asked me to try it, I work in the restaurant business and I know what's meant good food , I tried and honesty were testing rubber, looking like plastic pancakes, I was very disappointed, my 13 years old boy makes way better pancakes than that. Then I got to tell our sever and she responded (Strange) I keeped my mouth close and she went away after asking her for the bill. She showed up at the table and got me the bill with those HORRIBLE PANCAKES on it, I asked to removed because we barely eaten and she start to say that we had eat more than half witch is not true, she give me a very BAD attitude when she was swiping my card, she didn't even say, Have a good day or anything, VERY BAD SERVICE!! We will never go back to this place again. I live in Slo for over 22 years, I been there so many times but I guess food or service quality are going down. Have a nice day and thank you for got my day started BAD.